


Sacrifice

by Aerynth



Category: The Last Remnant
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Original Character(s), Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerynth/pseuds/Aerynth
Summary: What if the one person who could set things right was your enemy? What would you give up in exchange for what you lost? A Last Remnant sequel set two years after the remnants disappeared from the world. Written almost a decade ago and originally published on ff.net.
Relationships: David Nassau/Rush Sykes
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Two years after the departure of the remnants, Lord David found himself on the Yamarn Plain. War had brought him back to this spot yet again as he led Athlum’s troops across the continent. Night had fallen hours ago, but he was unable to sleep. The land here seemed to breathe memories into his lungs, making them feel as though they were too large for his chest. He would not fight them off though, for these were memories he wanted to relive at any opportunity. Memories of Rush and Emma, and an era that seemed to have been gone much longer than two years. The smell here made him feel like he was returning to a different life. A life that had been laid to rest which he desperately wanted to awaken.

“Is Lord David awake?” He heard the familiar voice of Torgal from outside his tent’s entryway.

“I do not believe so sir,” the guard posted at the door replied quietly.

“Come in, Torgal,” David called from his bunk, raising himself up on his hands. He heard a shuffling of feet outside as he slid his feet off the bed and planted his elbows onto his knees. His body suddenly felt exhausted from not sleeping, and he rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. He heard Torgal enter and stop near the door.

“Yes?” David asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

“An intelligence report from Blocter concerning movement of the rebellion has just arrived. I thought if you were awake you may want to take a look at it. Are you alright?” Torgal asked, eyeing him.

“Yes, I’m fine. Could you just read it to me?” David replied as he stood and made his way to the kettle set on a small stool. He pressed his palm against the metal as he closed his eyes for a brief second in concentration. “Spark.” He pulled his hand away from the kettle as it began to whistle, and poured two cups of tea. He turned around to find Torgal’s disapproving gaze on him.

“We don’t always have to do things the old fashioned way,” David teased, a small smile crossing his face. Torgal accepted the cup of tea and took a seat at a small table, the only furnishing aside from a low cot within the tent. David seated himself across from him.

“Reports from all major cities from the past 48 hours are showing similar activities. High ranking members of the rebellion can no longer be located by our scouts. After collaborating with intelligence members from Celapelais and Ghor we have confirmed that they must indeed be on the move. Given the current situation we have not been able to see if Elysion is aware of their locations.”

“This isn’t good,” David replied, setting his tea down on the table. “The rebellion must be preparing to strike a city while we are responding to the collapse in Elysion.”

In the two years since the remnants had disappeared, the world had undergone many changes. Collapses began to occur sporadically within cities that had once had guardian remnants located in them. With the increase in occurrences, the Lords had been forced to seek help outside their own armies in order to protect their cities. All the major nations of the world had come together and an agreement had been made that if a collapse should occur in a city, all of the Lords would send support to help. Although the Lords themselves rarely accompanied their support troops, David had chosen to travel with Torgal, Emmy, and his troops on this occasion. Elysion’s collapse had begun two nights ago, and although Althum had mobilized as quickly as they could, David hoped they could arrive in time to make a difference.

“I hope Athlum is safe,” David added quietly.

Torgal placed his tea back on the table. David looked down and realized he had not drunk any of it.

“Blocter and Pagus are aware of the threat. That’s why we left Blocter there in the first place.”

“Yes, you’re right,” David agreed with him. Blocter had taken a great deal of responsibility reecntly in monitoring the rebellion and keeping Athlum safe. David was surprised when he volunteered to head up intelligence operations concerning the group, but was pleased with the enthusiasm the yama put towards his new duties.

The rebellion had formed in the months following the disappearance of the remnants. Beginning in Nagapur which had remained without a Lord following Heirmein’s death, a push for democracy sprung up in the city. Baluuk was next, which had been without a Lord for some time due to the two possible heirs’ inability to decide which would ascend. Some of the people had begun to question the need of a Lord for each nation when there were no more great remnants that needed to be bound to a soul. The rebellion was further pushed into creation as the result of an attempt to quell the uprising in Baluuk, which had resulted in subsequent fighting and the deaths of three innocent citizens. The organization had grown substantially over the last few years, with members now in every nation. Over time, they grew more and more secretive, driven underground due to the suppressive reaction of the Lords.

Then, to the shock of the world, they attacked Ghor Castle just over two months ago. Although loss of life in the fighting was minimal, the Lords were forced to now deal with the organization more aggressively. The known leaders of the group, two men and a woman, were hunted by almost every nation. While the two men’s identities were known, the woman had remained elusive. 

“Shall I reply to him?” Torgal asked, rising from the table to take his leave. David’s eyes slid closed, the last words he had spoken to Emma flashing through his mind.

_“Take good care of her.”_

“Tell them I leave Athlum in their hands, but-“ he paused, releasing a heavy sigh before continuing. “Tell them to be careful as well.” Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Torgal’s face soften slightly in understanding.

The sovani nodded and silently exited the tent. Only after he left did David reach up and rub his temples with his fingers. He felt exhausted, but his mind raced with concern for home. He ran his hands through his hair, tossing it messily as he stood. As he turned away from the table, Torgal’s cup of tea caught his eye. The general had not touched it. After grabbing the cup and tossing it into a corner of the tent, he collapsed onto his bunk with a sigh. His thoughts drifted to Blocter and Pagus, watching over Athlum a day and a half away as sleep slowly overtook him.


	2. Chapter 2

Four days later David, Torgal and Emmy led the march back to Athlum. Elysion’s collapse had been moderate compared to some. Fighting had ensued from the moment they approached the city walls and had not ceased for three nights. When finally the ground had stilled and the last beast was slain, Athlum had suffered the loss of 23 soldiers. Now, as the troops marched homeward, they carried their comrades shoulder high.

The entire battle, David’s thoughts had been of home. The report from Blocter had raised concerns in his mind, and he had been unable to push them aside. The rebellion had showed in Ghor that they were not to be taken lightly. Now, as they made their way home through a light rain, he felt like the journey was taking unnecessarily long.

When finally they crested the hill from which they could look down on Athlum, David breathed a small sigh of relief. Everything appeared to be in order. As they entered the city, the streets were lined with people awaiting the return of the soldiers. As soldiers and families were one by one reunited, David stayed with Torgal and Emmy near the entrance of the square, awaiting the arrival of the 23 that would not see their families again.

David stood silently as the crowd slowly dispersed. His eyes kept wandering back to a woman he had noticed immediately upon entering the square. She was older than him by possibly ten years, and stood with a blanket wrapped around her small frame. Her face carried a grave expression, and her eyes, which looked red and swollen, skittered around the crowd. Her hair clung around her face. She had been waiting in the rain for some time. As he watched, family after family around her was reunited with their loved ones and left while she remained, looking stricken.

Finally, after a time, she cautiously approached Torgal, who held a list of the names of the fallen. She had begun shaking now, and her hands desperately clutched at the blanket around her. Her voice cracked as she spoke a name, and Torgal glanced at the list in front of him. It only took him a second to find the name and he lowered the list. She bit her lip and tried to remain composed as he raised an arm towards the rows of coffins and another behind her shoulders, and began to gently guide her to her loved one.

Emmy and David stood side by side, transfixed by the scene.

“She knew,” David said, breaking the silence. “I think she knew before we even got here.”

Emmy turned to look at him, but he refused to meet her eyes. “How?”

David shook his head. “I do not know. Maybe she felt it.” He paused, and breathed his next words quietly so only she could hear. “I wish things didn’t have to be like this.”

They stood in silence for a few long moments after that, and when Torgal finally rejoined them, David suggested returning to the castle. He wanted to speak with Blocter as soon as possible.

Upon entering the audience chamber of the castle, he found Blocter huddled over some papers at a table to the side of the room. He did not notice David’s approach until he was standing right next to him, peering around his massive arm to look at the documents.

“Ah, welcome back my Lord,” Blocter said quickly, bowing his head slightly.

“I am glad to be back,” David replied. “Now, what is going on with the rebellion?”

Blocter gathered up the papers on the table into his arms. “I think we should move into the conference room,” he told David.

Fifteen minutes later, Blocter had assembled all the documents needed, and David had called for tea and toast to be brought to the room. After Torgal had joined them Blocter had quietly dismissed all the staff, and closed the doors of the room.

“Why the secrecy?” David asked before Blocter could begin. Blocter’s face grew grim before he replied.

“I’m concerned about the rebellion infiltrating the castle,” he said. David raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “I figure it’s just better to be safe than sorry,” he explained quickly.

“Fair enough,” David replied, nodding. “I understand. So, what is going on?”

Blocter explained over the next half hour what had happened during their absence. Like in the report that had reached them on the Yamarn Plains, the major leaders of the rebellion had disappeared. The two men, one a former congress aide and the other a scholar, had been last seen together in Baaluk. The men had disappeared a week ago and had not been sighted in any other city. Baaluk had become a safe haven of sorts for the rebellion due to its continued political turmoil. The feuding heirs had been unable to come to agreement for so long a time that the Congress had finally intervened and chosen one. The choice had not been a popular one.

“The woman on the other hand,” Blocter said, barely able to suppress an annoyed grunt. “I’m starting to form an idea of who she is, but I’m not sure yet.”

“Oh?” inquired David, looking up from thumbing through the papers in front of him. “What are you thinking?”

Blocter seemed unsure if he wanted to continue. David had seen this look numerous times over the past year as the yama was overseeing the surveillance of the rebellion. The young general’s enthusiasm did not make up for lack of experience in such affairs, and Blocter was well aware of the fact.

“An informant managed to tail her through the market in Elysion a few weeks ago,” Blocter said, digging through a stack of papers to find the report. “He followed her as she purchased some food from a vendor. He noted that she spoke with a particular accent. An accent found only in a small rural area in the far east, near Veyriel. Although that is not much of a lead, if you consider the fact that she is known to be highly educated…that got me thinking.” Blocter paused, taking a breath and meeting David’s eyes. He remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

“What could bring a foreign girl from a rural area into Elysion, give her an extensive education, and give her cause to support such a political organization?” Blocter finished quietly. David knew immediately where this line of thought was leading.

“The academy.”

Torgal shifted in his chair at David’s response. “That theory gains further support from the fact that we have been unable to identify her, as the members’ identities were classified before the war and destroyed following the dissolution of the academy,” the sovani mused aloud. “Why have they not been arrested and brought in for questioning?” He asked, picking up an artist’s sketch of the woman and looking at it thoughtfully.

“Because although approximately 40 members of the rebellion raided Ghor, none of these three were actually sighted there,” David said, disdain evident in his voice. “And they wore battle helmets that obscured their faces anyway. We only identified the ones that died in the fight after the fact.” David tossed the papers back on the desk in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Is that all?” David asked after a moment of silence.

“No,” Blocter replied gravely. David’s hand fell from his face. “I suspect Celapaleis will be their next target. “

His words hung in the air for a moment before Torgal spoke. “Why do you think that?”

“Well, going back to the idea of the woman being from the academy; what if they’re raiding cities whose castle vaults hold the sealed files of the academy?”

After the Last Remnant War, the people who were present at the defeat of the Conqueror had explained to the Congress what had occurred. It was quickly decreed that the academy was to be dissolved. All research materials and documents had been divided between four cities – Athlum, Celapaleis, Ghor and Elysion – to be sealed in their castle vaults. The Sykes had been instrumental in the division of documents and items, so that no one city had any full part of research information. All three parts of every document, paired with a cipher, were required to complete any single page of information. To further prevent any possible future collaboration of that information, the identities of all members had been completely destroyed to prevent researchers from being sought out in the future.

“Why would you suspect that is what they’re doing?” Torgal asked.

“Because the reports from the raid on Ghor described what areas of the castle had been ransacked during the fighting. Their Academy vault was included on the list of locations.”

“Yes, but the room’s inventory was checked, and they didn’t note any documents missing,” David replied, his brow furrowing.

“Well like I said, it’s just a theory,” Blocter replied, doing his best to not sound defensive.

“That’s very little to go on,” replied David. They all stood silent in thought for a moment before David finally looked to Blocter.

“Well, that will do for now. Send a message to Celapaleis to be on their guard, but there is nothing else we can do at this time.” David instructed him. After Blocter left, Torgal and David sat in a tense silence before the sovani rose from the table.

“If it is alright, I shall be leaving the castle and heading into town for a bit tonight. There is someone I’d like to speak with.”

“Of course,” replied David. “I think I will retire for the night anyway.”

Torgal saluted without another word and left the room. David stayed for a while longer, unable to keep his thoughts from turning over everything Blocter had just told him. Could the woman helping lead the rebellion really be a former academy member? The thought caused his stomach to turn in apprehension. This thought kept him up as he lay in bed later. That night, he dreamed he was standing in a river up to his knees, and watched as Athlumian coffins the size of leaves flowed down stream.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days, things returned to normal within Althum Castle. David had received the news the day after his return that Celapaleis’ troops had returned, and that no attack had occurred on the city while they were in Elysion. Although slightly relieved, the worry still drifted in and out of his mind as he resumed his duties.

As he and the generals gathered in the audience chamber one afternoon for a meeting, he noted the absence of one of the four.

“Where’s Pagus?” he inquired.

“Resting, my Lord. He sends his deepest apologies, but he did not feel well enough to attend,” replied Emmy.

David’s brow furrowed. “Ah, well. No need for him to apologize,” he replied, making a mental note to visit him later.

The meeting carried on uneventfully. Intelligence regarding the rebellion showed that the two male leaders of the group had resurfaced in Baaluk. At the mention that the woman was still missing, David noticed one of Torgal’s ears give a peculiar twitch. Though he glanced at the general through his peripheral vision, he said nothing.

After the meeting, David headed towards his private office. He wanted to review a few petitions before dinner was served. As he sat himself behind his desk and poured himself a hot cup of tea, he suddenly remembered Pagus. As he contemplated getting up he found himself unwilling. His inability to sleep through a night was beginning to catch up with him. Sighing, he rose from the desk and opened a nearby cabinet. He withdrew a whiskey bottle from it and yanked the cork harshly.

_Later if he’s not at dinner, I’ll go see him._ He thought to himself as he poured some of the liquor into his tea. Seating himself back at the desk, he began to read.

David opened his eyes to a grey sky above him. Thunder rolled loudly, and seemed to echo forever into the distance. The wind blew violently through his hair as he sat up, whipping strands into his eyes. Through them he could see towering figures in the distance and beyond them lightning cracked. He blinked, trying to figure out where he was. Then as the thunder suddenly became quiet for a second, he heard a voice on the wind.

He climbed to his feet and spun wildly, searching. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs. He knew that voice. He could never forget it. He drew breath into his lungs, the cold air stinging his throat.

He opened his mouth to call out, but the wind howled even louder, and he could barely hear his voice himself. Panic began to overtake him as he stepped forward. He knew he was here, he had to find him. He tried to yell again but only silence came from him. He couldn’t leave him here. He drew in another breath.

“Rush?!” David cried out into the empty quiet of his office. He was at his desk, slumped backwards in his chair. His heart was pounding just as it had been in the dream, and he laid a hand over his chest as he tried to slow his breathing. His heart sunk as he realized it was just a dream. After a few seconds he reached for the cup of tea that was in front of him. It was still warm.

“My Lord?” he heard from the outside of his door. There was a noticeable edge of fear in her voice.

“Come in, Emmy.”

The young general opened the door quietly. Her face appeared first, her eyes slightly wide. David briefly realized that she looked six years old again; like when they were children.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he replied, too quickly to seem casual. His face felt like it was on fire, and he rose to pour her a cup of tea, as well as attempt to hide his red complexion. She accepted the cup eagerly, and when she took the cup from him he noticed her fingers trembling slightly.

“Are you alright?” he asked, keeping his voice calm. He seated himself back behind his desk as she took a seat in front of him.

“Well, yes. Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go right ahead.”

“Well,” she started, looking down and fiddling with her cup.

“For goodness sakes Emmy, we’ve known each other since we were babies. Just get it out,” he teased her. She raised her eyes to him at his words and hesitated before finally beginning.

“Have you, uh…” she trailed off, chuckling lightly to herself. “Have you ever been-“

“Pardon the intrusion,” they suddenly heard from the door, and Emmy jumped slightly in her chair. David could not help but wonder if Torgal had timed his entrance on purpose.

“Yes Torgal?”

“You’re needed in the audience chamber immediately. There’s something you need to see.”

Emmy and David stood instantly and left the office. As they approached the audience chamber they could hear voices yelling. The only David could recognize was Blocter’s. As they rounded the corner and entered the room, Emmy and David stopped short while Torgal continued to walk further into the room, unaffected by the scene in front of them.

Blocter was standing toe to toe with Jager. The yama towered over the former ally, and although his neck was craned to look upwards, Jager was arguing with Blocter without hesitation.

“I was told to bring her here! That’s why!” the man exclaimed, his hands on his hips.

“That’s ridiculous! Bringing her here makes Athlum a target of the rebellion! Why would we want her?” Blocter yelled back, balling his hands into fists.

David’s attention only then was drawn downward to the floor near them. A woman was hunched over on her knees, her hands restrained behind her back. Her head was slumped forward almost to the floor, and her dark hair had fallen around her like a veil. A small puddle of blood was visible on the stone beneath her.

“He told me to bring her!” Jager’s voice broke into David’s thoughts, and he looked up to see him pointing at Torgal. He heard Emmy draw in a small breath of surprise next to him. As he took a few steps forward, the woman coughed quietly and groaned. As David came to a stop inches in front of her, she raised her head to look at him. The blood on the floor was running from a wound on her forehead, and her hair was matted and sticking to her face on that side. Her other eye though met his. They were a deep indigo, and they burned up at him.

“Put her in a cell. Clean her up first though,” David finally said. She growled as Blocter grabbed her arm from behind and dragged her towards the castle holding cells.

“And if you please Torgal, don’t send off bounty hunters without asking me again,” he said quietly to the general. “That’s where you went the other night, wasn’t it?” The sovani’s silence was enough confirmation for him.

Unseen to the both of them, Emmy stood still rooted to the spot she had stopped at on the way in, a look of mingled pain and shock still on her face.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

David could not quiet his mind. The capture of the rebellion woman was something he hadn’t seen coming, especially since Torgal had taken matters into his own hands without his knowledge. He had known that Jager had chosen to reside in Athlum after the war had ended, but he had thought that he had moved on from being a man for hire for kidnappings and bounty hunting. He wondered how he had been able to find her so quickly and bring her in. He needed to know where she had been found, since informants had not been able to find her but Jager had. That paired with the fact that it had only been a few days since Torgal had spoken with him gave David an uneasy feeling. It implied that she had been within a day’s journey of Athlum.

He planned on interrogating her before the day ended. She was being held in the lower levels of the castle, where rarely used holding cells were located. And then there was the serious decision as to if Athlum would continue to hold her captive while it may pose danger to the city. At this point there was no real evidence to hold her here. David sighed tiredly at the thought.

First things first though.

David raised his knuckles to lightly tap on the wooden door. “Pagus?” he called. He could hear the shuffling of feet behind the door and then it opened slowly.

“My Lord, please do come in,” Pagus said quietly, opening the door fully and continuing to hold it as David entered the room. The generals’ quarters consisted of two rooms, an outer room that served as a sitting area, and a bedroom further within. Pagus’ outer room was filled with bookcases of meticulously organized tomes, a desk that was strewn with papers, and a few comfortable chairs that were pushed near the fireplace. The fireplace was lit and cast a warm glow about the room.

David moved towards the chairs near the fireplace and noticed a small table next to one of them, upon it was a single book along with multiple potion and elixir bottles. He chose the other chair and lowered himself into it as Pagus slowly lifted himself into his. As he settled into the chair and pulled his robe tighter around him, David felt a small pang in his heart at the tired sigh he breathed from the effort. He averted his eyes to the fire as he began to speak.

“How are you feeling?”

“I apologize for missing today’s business, My Lord-“ Pagus began, but David cut him off.

“Don’t apologize for that, I’m more concerned about your health.”

“Ah, I will be fine, just a bit of an illness that I think will clear up soon,” Pagus replied.

They were silent a moment before David changed the subject.

“We have the rebellion woman in custody.” He watched as Pagus’ eyes widened a bit in surprise.

“Really? How did that come about?”

“Jager brought her in,” David replied, his voice revealing a slight disapproval of the method.

“Hmm, I had thought Jager was aiming to enter the political arena after the war. I’m surprised to hear he would randomly do such a thing,” Pagus mused aloud.

“It wasn’t exactly…random. Torgal evidently put him up to it,” David told him, his voice again betraying him to express annoyance.

“Torgal only does what he thinks is right for Athlum.”

“I know…I know. I just don’t like things being-“ David was cut off suddenly as Pagus began to cough harshly. He leaned forward in his chair and placed a hand over his chest as he shook with each cough. David leapt out of his chair and kneeled before him, placing a hand on the general’s shoulder. He reached beyond the chair at the same time and reached for a glass of water that was on the small table.

“Here,” he said, handing the glass to Pagus, whose coughing began to subside after a moment. As Pagus drained the glass of water, David rose from the floor and moved to stand near the fireplace. He crossed his arms over his chest as he turned away from Pagus to gaze into the fire. The pang in his chest that he had felt earlier had returned, much stronger this time.

The silence that fell upon the room was palpable. David felt as if they were both thinking of the same subject, but neither wanted to speak of it. Pagus’ labored breathing and the crackle of the fire was all that was heard in the room. They remained silent for a long time before David slowly began turning around to face him. As he did so he saw the hundreds of books that lined the walls, and he found the ability to ask the question.

“Did you ever regret it, Pagus? Giving up the life of an academic?”

Pagus’ eyes rose to meet David’s, and there was no surprise or disbelief in them; only understanding.

“Why do you think it has to be one way or the other? Being a general has afforded me many opportunities to further my studies and interests. I would like to think that although in title I am a general, I am still an academic.”

David could not help but notice that Pagus had completely avoided answering the question.

“I know though, when…” David paused, his voice cracking slightly. “When Rush was with us, and we travelled to Melphina, you met some old friends there. I didn’t think anything of it at the time until Rush had returned from helping you and Maddox and Sibal. He said offhandedly that he had never seen you so happy, so…excited about anything before. Rush had only known us a few months, but his observation was completely right, and-“

“David,” Pagus interrupted him. David fell silent as Pagus turned his head up towards him, fully looking him in the eyes.

“I have been in the service of Athlum for 36 years now. I did not hesitate to accept your father’s offer to serve him, and I’ve never regretted that decision,” Pagus stated very clearly, never looking away from David. The eye contact made him uncomfortable after a moment, and he looked away as Pagus continued on.

“I think it’s common for people to think of how their life could be had they made different choices. I admit that I may think about that life – a life of travels and discoveries – but I never wished for things to be changed. And now I’ve come to a time where I have to face the fact that things may change which are out of my control.”

David turned away at this, towards the fire again. His throat began to tighten as Pagus continued.

“My service to you may end soon, and that I think, may be the one thing I ever truly regret.”

David did not turn around, only lowered his head in acknowledgement. Pagus had been present in the castle since before he was born and had always been a favorite of his. Although he had no memory of it, Emma told him once about how he used to follow Pagus around incessantly as a child. When asked why, a young David would turn his face up to his inquisitor and reply, “He’s my size!”

And now David stood, unsure of how much time remained for his friend. He swallowed a knot that had been building in his throat as he spoke again.

“If you wish it, I would release you from your service. You could travel and see your friends. Spend this time in any way you’d like.”

Athlumian law dictated the service terms of a general of Athlum. Not to be taken lightly, once made a general, the title was binding. Generals were generals until their Lord released them or death took them. It was an exceedingly rare occurrence that a Lord released them from duty.

“David,” Pagus said quietly, pushing himself gingerly off his chair and moving towards the fire to stand next to his Lord. “Indeed I would like to spend the rest of my time doing what I wish to do.” David’s eyes finally left the fire at this and he turned to look downward upon Pagus’ face.

“If you’ll have me, that is,” the qsiti finished, peering up at David with a calm, small smile on his face. David sighed, both in relief and resignation, and slowly nodded his head.

“Of course.”

“Good,” Pagus replied, and turned away from the fire. “Now if it is alright my Lord, I think I need some rest.”

“Sleep well, Pagus. And don’t hesitate to ask for anything,” David said, turning to leave the room. Pagus saluted slowly and watched as David left, closing the door behind him.

“Thank you, my dear boy. Thank you.”

* * *

David rounded the corner of the hallway that held all the generals’ quarters, his mind turning towards the woman being held 4 floors below him in the castle cells. 

“What in the hell were you thinking?!”

David came to an instant halt. He recognized the voice of Emmy immediately, especially an angry Emmy. His brow furrowed; this was Torgal’s section of the hallway. His eyes quickly darted around the hallway he stood in, wondering if he was confused. No, this was Torgal’s area.

“Sabotage you? Emmy, calm down and think reasonably,” he suddenly heard Torgal reply to her, his voice even though louder than normal. 

“A bounty hunter, Torgal? That’s how Athlum gets things done now? Lord David would never approve of this.”

“Emmy, consider your role. You are a general of Athlum. Athlum comes first in all matters. You should have seen very plainly in your mother that being a general is not conducive to relationships.”

At Torgal’s last words, David’s mind flew back to the conversation he and Emmy had tried to have only hours before. She had been trying to ask him something before they got interrupted. But what? Relationships?

Before he could hear anymore, David heard heavy footsteps around the corner. He started walking again, not wanting to be caught obviously eavesdropping.

“Young master,” Blocter said as he rounded the corner. “Glad I found you. I was just about to get Torgal to see if you’d like to interrogate the woman now.”

“Yes,” David said, keeping his composure although his ears suddenly felt warm. He hoped no one in the room would think he had been out here for long. “Fetch Torgal and I will meet you downstairs,” he said, and without another hesitation he left Blocter in the hallway.

Sometime later, after stopping in his chambers to wash his face, David arrived with Torgal and Blocter to the holding cells in the basement of the castle. The hallways in this level of the castle were below ground and therefore lacked windows. The cells were in constant darkness apart from candles that were spread around on small stools and tables. The cells had not been used in years, not since David’s father had fought off an army on its way to Celapaleis.

The cell she was being held in was at the end of the hallway, furthest from the entrance. Two guards had been stationed in the middle of the hallway, and Torgal dismissed them, asking them to wait until called. As they came to the door, David saw she was seated at the small table in her cell that had a single candle burning on it. Her eyes met David’s as he entered the cell holding two cups of tea. She did not take her eyes off him as he placed one of the cups down in front of her. The wound to her head had been cleaned and dressed, but she still wore the clothes she was brought to the castle in. A dark stain of blood ran down one sleeve. David then noticed the rusted bed frame behind her. There was nothing on it but a thin, dirty mattress.

“Blocter, call for a pillow and blanket please.”

Blocter left to call for a guard as Torgal took a seat on the bed behind her and out of her peripheral vision. When Blocter returned he took a position at the entrance of the cell, unsure if his large figure could fit inside. The barred door remained open. David took a seat at the table across from her, taking care to maintain his distance from her.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t try anything with a Sovani behind me,” she said, her tone flat.

David ignored her remark, folding his hands together on the table. “We have some questions,” he finally told her.

“No doubt.” They fell silent as a guard entered the cell with a large blanket and single, lumpy pillow. He placed them on the table between her and David, and she reached for them immediately. He dismissed the guard and watched her wrap the blanket around her small frame while she tossed the pillow in the direction of the bed. It missed and slid to the floor.

“Your name, for starters,” David stated.

“Lenne,” she replied, her eyes settled on him with a distinct look of boredom. It was almost possible to hear the name being seared into the memories of David and his generals, as this name was about to be searched for in every record the castle held.

“Alright,” he replied, attempting to hide his annoyance at her refusal to give a last name. “Right to the point then. Who are you?”

She leaned back in her chair, breaking her eye contact with him. She seemed to be contemplating something, and for a moment almost looked completely careless that she was in a prison cell of a castle.

“A member of the rebellion, if you forgot,” Blocter barked at her, his voice dripping with impatience.

“Yes, I am,” she replied loudly, directing her gaze past David to the yama behind him.

“Why?” David asked, ignoring the bickering. Her eyes darted back to his as she raised her eyebrows. He watched as her face twisted and turned angry in the space of only a few heartbeats.

“The Lords for hundreds of years were deemed necessary to control tools of destruction, and all you did was create war. A thousand years of war. All while hiding behind the façade of making some great sacrifice to keep the peace.”

“So the answer is another war?” David asked, his voice rising slightly.

“You had your chance. It’s time the people took their futures into their own hands without you.”

“At the cost of more lives?” Torgal interjected. David could feel he was losing control of the situation. He knew an argument would be pointless. In desperation, he changed the subject.

“Why Ghor? Why attack a warrior stronghold, first?”

She scoffed under her breath and crossed her arms across her chest. She fell silent for a moment before Blocter spoke. “Answer the question, rebellion scum.”

She rolled her eyes as she let out a heaving side. “The problem with having too many _men_ in charge of things; full of too much arrogance and ambition.” David exchanged a glance with Torgal behind her before continuing.

“Did you hope to unseat Duke Ghor that easily?” David asked.

“It needs to be done. The Lords are not fit to rule.”

“Don’t you dare say that to Lord David!” Blocter burst out, moving threateningly towards the doorway of the cell.

“You’d have us praying on our knees to the tools of our own destruction!” She yelled back at him, leaning forward in her chair to match his hostility.

David shook his head side to side. “You’re wrong.”

She turned back to him, his tone making her fall silent a moment.

“The remnants were capable of good. A remnant is why we are _all_ still alive, including you.” 

She seemed to consider this a moment, as she didn’t budge an inch in her chair. Her eyes were fixed on his and neither of them blinked for a time before she leaned forward, leaning her elbows on the table.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she started, her voice barely above a whisper. “But he was nothing but a mistake. An anomaly. All the others would have enslaved us without hesitation.”

David felt like his heart had stopped beating in his chest. Rush’s last moments were only known to those who were present and the Lords of the Congress. The defeat of the Conqueror was publicized to be at the hand of all of those there, not at the single hand of one man. He felt like he’d been hit in the chest. They clearly had no idea who they were dealing with. Still, he knew he needed to try and maintain control.

“Witnesses saw the Valeria Heart protect Emma Honeywell.“

“Fool. Why would the Valeria Heart continue its forced servitude to you? The Conqueror was there to free it and it wanted to be freed.”

“It tried to protect her-“

“It did no such thing! It knew why the Conqueror was there. It’d have killed Emma if it’d had the chance.”

“Enough.” David said, cutting her off. He was being threatened by an onslaught of doubt and nausea at the thought that the Valeria Heart, that Emma had always held so dear, may not have been trying to defend her that day.

“Where is the rebellion going to strike next?” Torgal asked, seeing David begin to struggle to maintain himself. She leaned back in her chair, away from the table, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I think I’ve said enough,” she said slowly and calmly. “There will be no more until we negotiate my release.”

David stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar. She did not look at him. Her release had never been brought up, and at this point he did not foresee it anytime soon. He saw Torgal rise to leave, and sensing that no progress would be made from her today, took his leave as well without another word. As the three of them left the dark hallways, a sick feeling began to grow in his stomach. She remained a mystery, and they all sensed that they had gotten more than they bargained for out with her. Clearly, David thought, they would have to rethink their strategy to gain her cooperation.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

“So? What have you found?” David asked, hands on his hips. He had just entered the room that held Athlum’s archives to find Emmy, Blocter, and - to his pleasant surprise – Pagus pouring over documents and books. It had been almost two days since the somewhat fruitless interrogation of Lenne, and the generals had been hard at work searching for any further information about her identity.

The generals looked up at him, their faces all looking a bit haggard. Blocter’s jaw hung unusually slack, and Emmy’s normally neat hair looked ruffled, some areas sticking up at awkward angles. She looked as though she had fallen asleep on the table at some point. 

“Nothing,” she sighed, defeat evident in her tone. “Not a thing.”

“We’ve contacted Elysion, but I fear because of the measures taken after the war that they may not be able to locate any Academy Directors to question,” Pagus added. David noticed that he sounded better than he had the day before when they had spoken. Pagus was always strangely delighted by research while most tended to avoid it at all costs. 

“We do have another option.”

They all turned to the door to see Torgal had entered the room. 

“Where have you been?” asked Emmy, raising an eyebrow.

“Out in the city, listening,” he replied shortly to her. David could feel some hostility between them, and he assumed it stemmed from the argument he had overheard in the hallway.

“What’s our other option?” asked Blocter, oblivious to the sudden tension in the room.

David sighed, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “The Sykes.” He heard Torgal grunt in agreement.

“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to that,” Pagus said. “They made it clear that they wanted to move on from the Academy and spend as much time as they could with Irina.”

After helping with the dissolution of the Academy, the Sykes had permanently retired home to Eulam Island with Irina. After the loss of Rush, a deep wound had been inflicted upon John and Marina’s marriage. It was eventually revealed that Marina had never told John about discovering young Rush that day, nor that he had become a remnant. Still grieving for their son, along with being overwhelmed with guilt at having chosen work over their children for so long, their relationship deteriorated rapidly. They barely spoke during their work to close the Academy, and only reconciled after realizing how much they were hurting their remaining child. Once they were finished in Elysion, they had packed up and moved to Eulam the next morning, and had not been back to Athlum since.

David considered this carefully. The Sykes were top researchers at the Academy, and Marina had lived and worked there almost her whole life. Lenne appeared to be only a few years older than David; if she was Academy, it would have definitely been within the last five or so years. 

But at the same time…

“The last thing I want to do is cause them any more pain, but I’m afraid it might come to that,” he told them. “Hold off for a few days before we make plans to contact them. Let’s wait for Elysion’s reply, and Pagus, if you don’t mind, would you keep at it with our records?”

“Of course,” Pagus said, smiling contentedly.

A knock came at the door over their shoulders. Torgal opened it to find a guard standing outside, holding a large envelope.

“For Lord David, General Torgal,” the guard said, extending the envelope towards him. Torgal took it and thanked the guard before closing the door and turning back to the room. He looked down at the object, which was blank with no markings anywhere on it. David took a few steps towards him and extended his hand, in which Torgal hesitantly placed it.

Ripping the top open, David reached into the deep envelope and pulled out two items. One was a piece of paper folded in half, and the other a piece of cloth wrapped around a small object. He opened the note as Emmy came to his side to glance over his shoulder, reading aloud over his shoulder.

“‘Negotiations.’ For what?” She uttered quietly.

The last words of his first conversation with Lenne came to mind. He had considered that the rebellion may offer some sort of negotiation for her, but he had thought it a very remote possibility. They seemed more than likely able to function even with one of their leaders in custody. 

He willingly let Emmy take the note from his hand as he turned his attention to the cloth. He unraveled it slowly, the brevity of the note causing a feeling of unease to return to his stomach. He felt the layers of cloth around the object loosening, and finally he reached the last layer. He pulled the cloth upward, and the object fell lightly into his hand. 

He knew what it was in that brief second before his eyes even saw it. He felt the small crystal’s weight in his hand. He felt the thin, delicate chain slide between his fingers. And he heard the familiar jingle that it made which he had grown accustomed to hearing for a year, but had never noticed until it was gone. His eyes darted down to his hand as he felt his breath catch in his throat.

He found himself staring down at Rush’s talisman. 

Something in David snapped. He turned away from the others and headed directly for the castle’s cells, not heeding the calls coming from the generals behind him. He walked with the speed of someone on a mission. When he rounded the corner of her cell, his eyes locked with hers, and the ferocity in his glare caused her to rise up from her bunk.

“There will be no negotiations,” he growled at her through gritted teeth. Her eyes travelled down to his hand, where she could see the small chain of the talisman dangling from his tightly clenched hand. Her eyes lingered on it before slowly, a defiant grin rose across her face. She then met his eyes again and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off.

“Either you will cooperate with us or you will die in here!” he yelled from the other side of the bars, emphasizing the latter option of his ultimatum. The smug smile slid off her face, but she did not change her confident posture. They stood this way in silence, eyes locked on each other. His throat was tight with a knot that had appeared the second the necklace had touched him. His face felt as if it was on fire as he glared at her. He briefly noticed that Emmy and Torgal had joined him in the hallway.

“Where did you get this?” he demanded. She stood her ground, staring continuously at him, and remained silent. “Where?!” he bellowed, moving threateningly up to the bars as his voice echoed throughout the hallway. She jumped, startled.

Emmy suddenly appeared next to David, and he finally tore his eyes away from Lenne to see Emmy shoving a key into the cell door’s lock. She flung the door open violently and stormed through it, straight up to Lenne, who had taken a nervous step sideways. Almost too quickly to see, Torgal and David watched as Emmy swung a fist and into Lenne’s jaw.

The hard packing sound of fist on flesh thudded in their ears as Torgal moved with an unnatural swiftness into the cell. He grabbed Emmy roughly by the arm and dragged her back into the hallway, slamming the cell door behind him. He continued to pull her down the hall and out of sight as David watched Lenne, who had crumpled onto the floor and was clutching the side of her face, hissing in pain. He could not bring himself to feel any sympathy.

“You obviously know what this is. And if you have any inclination of what it means to me, you know I will stop at nothing to find him.” David’s voice shook with emotion. He was aware now he had stepped over a line from which he could not go back. He took a breath through his nose, trying to tamp down the knot in his throat that now threatened to choke him. “Now, tell me where you got this.”

She glanced up at him and her eyes, which had been so defiant and angry, had turned nervous and scared. Her chin had begun to bleed, and she let the blood trickle slowly down her neck, having no cloth to hold to it. She looked at the floor and licked her lips hastily, her eyes fixated on nothing.

“Where do you think I got it?” she asked, her voice sounding suddenly tired. “From him.”

David tried his best to ignore the leaps he could not stop his stomach from doing. He felt his blood rush to his ears and his cheeks burn. She was lying. She had to be.

“Tell me where you got this,” he said, stressing every word.

“I already told you!” She shouted, peeling herself off the floor slowly and into the chair at the table. As her face moved close to the candle light David could see that she was incredibly pale. 

They both fell into silence, their breathing the only sounds in the empty hallway. It was cold enough that David could see his breath, emerging from him in erratic huffs. After a moment he slowly stepped forward to the bars, and gripped one with his empty hand. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was about to ask the question that had haunted him for two years, and this time someone knew the answer, although he didn’t know if he could trust her. But he had to know. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and strangled.

“Where is he?”

When there was no answer he opened his eyes and raised them to her. When he did, he saw something there he never would have expected to see. Her eyes met his, and there was a mix of sadness and pity in them. Her face portrayed at the same time a slight confusion, seemingly at her own feelings. 

“He’s with the rest of them,” she finally said, hostility gone completely from her voice. She rose slowly from the chair and stepped around the table, moving slowly towards the bars. David did not move away from them. She opened her mouth to say something else, but quickly closed it again, second guessing herself. 

“You’ve seen him?”

She took the final step towards him, closing the distance between them. She placed a hand on one of the bars opposite the side where David’s hand rested, and leaned closer to him. 

“Yes.”

“When?” He asked, and he couldn’t bring himself to care about the obvious desperation in his voice.

“Years ago, right after it happened.”

“How?”

With that last question, David realized he might have gone too far. Her brow furrowed and she withdrew a step, dropping her hand from the bars.

“Don’t start to think like that. Understand he’s not coming back…he can’t be  _ brought _ back.”

“But how-“

“By means that can never be employed again. You and the Congress saw to that.” He watched as her eyes flickered over his face. David’s mind began to race wildly as they stood, faces only inches apart. Her eyes were boring into him with an insistence that he should not pursue this any further than he already had.

Like hell he wouldn’t. 

After seemingly an eternity, he turned away from the cell and was surprised to see Pagus standing a few cell doors down, watching him. He had not heard the general enter, and therefore had no idea how much he had overheard. Although he knew he needed to speak with her more, David moved toward the exit of the hallway, motioning for Pagus to follow him. Once out of the hall, he turned to Pagus.

“How much did you hear?”

“Since you approached the bars. Although Torgal would call you reckless, I think we can learn a great deal from what just happened,” Pagus said, his voice absent of any reprimanding.

“Meet me upstairs later,” David said. “We’ll discuss it in my office.”

Pagus saluted as David headed upstairs. His mind was racing, turning over again and again what had happened, what had been said. She had seen Rush…he was alive! Rush…

Only after climbing a few flights of stairs did he realize he was still clutching Rush’s talisman. He stopped on the steps, alone in the stairwell, and looked down at his hand. The crystal seemed foggy and lifeless, the green hue that he remembered it being completely gone. 

Whenever Rush or the Sykes were mentioned he felt a pang in his chest, as if part of himself was missing. He had learned to function without letting this show over the past two years. But this time, holding the only piece of Rush he had after going two years without any, he could not stop a few silent tears that tracked down his face. 

After a moment he opened his fist and slowly brought the crystal to his lips before looping the chain around his neck and tucking it into his shirt. He took a deep, ragged breath as he composed himself, wiping his face dry.

He finally continued climbing the stairs until he reached the floor where his office was located. He stepped down the hallway, feeling somewhat dazed, when he suddenly heard a sob from nearby. He moved quietly towards the sound and slowly peered around the corner. He saw Emmy alone in the hallway, leaning against the wall. She was leaning forward, cradling her hand to her chest, and he could see tears glinting in the sunlight as they fell to the floor. She was trying to suppress her sobs in the quiet hallway, but they were still loud enough to cover his footsteps as he approached her. He reached out slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Emmy?” He asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. She spun around towards him so quickly it startled him, and she flung her arms around his neck.

“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed into his shoulder, squeezing him tightly. “I just can’t believe her! If she knew him, or what he meant to you…how could anyone be so cruel?”

David had rarely seen Emmy openly cry since they were children, but he knew when she cried like this it was hard for her to stop. He raised his arms slowly and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, running it in small circles. He felt a tug at his heart at the thought that she was crying for him.

“It’s okay, we’ll figure it ou-“

“No! It’s not okay! He made you so happy and now he’s nothing but a pawn to her!”

“It’s alright,” he said, pushing her away from him by the shoulders to look her directly in the eyes. “We’ll figure this out. Even though you weren’t there to see it, that right hook of yours got her to talk a bit.”

Emmy let out a relieved chuckle as she finally smiled at him. He smiled back at her as he took her hand and raised it to his eyes. Two of her knuckles were slightly bloodied.

“It was worth it, although I got a lecture from Torgal,” she said, raising her other hand to wipe tear tracks from her cheeks. “So what did she say?”

“Come,” he said, motioning her down the hall. “Wash up and meet in the conference room in half an hour. There’s much to discuss.”


	6. Chapter 6

Dusk was settling on the lands outside Athlum. Early winter brought with it shorter days, and the sun’s light faded quickly from the border where a young man crossed quickly from Celapaleis into Athlum. The silence of the land was shattered by pounding footsteps and ragged breathing. He sprinted as fast as he could, his head constantly turning to look over his shoulder. As he reached a hill he was slowed a bit and leaned forward to use his hands to help him up. His fingernails clawed at the dirt as he frantically scrambled to the top. His lungs burned and his legs screamed in protest but he ran on, fueled by adrenaline; adrenaline driven by fear. 

* * *

David entered the conference room to find the generals seated together at the end of the table, hunched forward and speaking very fast to one another. Their eyes darted amongst each other, and they were barely aware that David had entered the room.

“She’s academy,” he spoke over them, drawing their attention. “There’s no doubt about it, Blocter was right.”

Torgal’s ears rolled slightly backward as he glanced up at him. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions-“

“She spoke a bit after you and Emmy left.” He began, placing his hands on the back of a chair at the table and leaning forward onto it. “She said she acquired Rush’s talisman from Rush himself shortly after the war ended.”

A silence fell over the room before Torgal finally spoke. “And you believe her?” 

“Do you have another explanation?” David asked, cocking his head to one side. Torgal fell into silence with the rest of them, as no one had any other suggestions. 

“What else did she say?” Blocter finally asked after a time.

“That she got the necklace from him by some means that was destroyed by the Congress. She said it’s been a long time since she saw him, which has to mean that whatever method she used was destroyed when the Academy was dissolved.”

“That does seem like a plausible story,” replied Pagus, giving David a knowing look.

After another short silence, Emmy spoke in a quiet, unguarded tone. “You really think he could be alive?”

“Yes, I do.” David replied, aware of the talisman brushing against the bare skin of his chest under his clothing.

“Wow,” Blocter uttered quietly under his breath.

“My Lord, may I speak with you privately,” Torgal said, his tone hardly giving room for David to refuse him.

“Alright,” he sighed. “A moment, please,” he requested, looking at the other generals. They all rose from the table and exited the room without another word. David turned to Torgal, an expectant look on his face. Torgal drew a deep breath before he began.

“Although I understand that her contact with Rush has…personal implications, I just want you to remember that handling the Rebellion should be Athlum’s first priority,” Torgal spoke slowly. David raised his arms to cross them over his chest. 

“I of course understand that, but remember that she  _ is  _ Rebellion. And -“

“I don’t think-“

“Blocter was right about her belonging to the Academy,” David raised his voice, cutting off Torgal before he could question him. “It’s possible that the rest of his theory could be correct as well.”

Torgal paused a second before speaking again. “You think they may be targeting the Academy vaults?”

“I don’t know,” David replied. “It’s absolutely plausible. And whatever they’re doing, she knows. Their plan can’t be as simple as attacking a city and overthrowing its Lord one by one, the other Lords wouldn’t stand for it. It’d be suicide. There’s something bigger going on here. We need to continue interrogating her.”

“That may require employing harsher techniques than Emmy’s fist,” Torgal replied darkly.

David sighed, his shoulders falling. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. She may be working against us, but I’d like to think we are still decent people, even if we are living in an indecent time.”

They both stood silently a moment, considering each other. As David’s eyes locked with the Sovani before him, the argument he had heard in the hallway between him and Emmy came to mind. The thought of it caused his stomach to turn, and he couldn’t push it aside any longer.

“This is a trying time for us. There is a threat that would like to see all the Lords be ridden of. This is not a time for us to turn on each other,” David spoke, his voice strong and commanding. “This is not a time to keep secrets.”

Torgal’s eyes, which had strayed to the side, snapped back to meet David’s. When Torgal did not reply, David pushed further.

“There is a noticeable tension between you and Emmy,” he said. “I have the feeling it’s related to the woman down in our cells. What is going on?” He asked. 

“That,” Torgal started confidently, “is for Emmy to explain to you.” 

“Alright then,” David said, uncrossing his arms. “If you’d please go and tell Emmy to come in, you and the others may retire for the evening.”

Torgal hesitated a moment before turning towards the door. David raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose as he heard Torgal speaking to the other generals outside. A moment later, Emmy appeared in the conference room. 

“Yes my Lord?” she asked, saluting as she came to a halt a few feet from him. David had moved closer to the fireplace and was gazing into the flames. The sun was beginning to set over Athlum, and a chill was settling into the castle. 

“You and Torgal,” he began quietly. “What’s going on between you two?”

Although he could not see her face, he could sense Emmy’s surprise. “I’m not sure what you-“

“You’ve been hostile towards each other ever since that woman was brought in. What is it? Something having to do with Torgal? Or is it something to do with her?”

David turned around to face her as he finished the question. Emmy looked a little timid, clearly caught off guard by the subject. 

“Neither really…” Emmy finally said quietly, her voice faltering slightly.

“Be honest Emmy,” David replied, his tone expressing a slight, but growing, impatience. 

“I am,” she said, taking an unconscious step closer to David. “It’s not about him, nor her.”

“Then what is it?” David asked, turning away from the fire to look into Emmy’s eyes.

She fell silent for another moment, and David could see she was considering something. For some reason she was frightened.

“It’s Jager,” she finally blurted out, and he could see tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.

“Jager?” David repeated the name, caught off guard. “What about him?”

He watched Emmy as she stood, her eyes fixed to a spot on the floor. She took a deep breath before she finally spoke.

“We wish to be married.”

Torgal’s words that he’d overheard in the hallway echoed in his mind.

“ _ Being a general is not conducive to relationships.” _

“Married?”

David looked to Emmy, his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise. Her shock the day the woman was brought in made sense now. David had completely forgotten about the other man in the room at the time, and had assumed she had fought with Torgal over the method by which Lenne had been captured, not the man. As understanding began to dawn on David, Emmy began filling in the rest of the gaps.

“We were waiting for a time when things quieted down with the Rebellion and the collapses to ask for your permission. He’s a good man and has changed so much since the war, so I lost my temper with Torgal when he asked him to be a bounty hunter for Athlum. Torgal knew Jager wouldn’t refuse to do it for you even if it might have tarnished your opinion of him. He wanted to help you. But I swear he doesn’t want to do those things for a living anymore, he doesn’t…” Emmy trailed off, and David could see that she was desperately trying to prevent the tears in her eyes from spilling on her cheeks.

“I see,” David said, and he could not stop his mouth from spreading into a large, genuine smile. Relief rushed through him at the thought that he had worried for nothing. Emmy, who was still looking at the floor, finally lifted her eyes to David when she heard him begin to laugh. 

“My Lord?” she asked quietly as David’s laughter filled the conference room. He only shook his head side to side in disbelief. 

“Of course you have my permission, and my blessing,” he told her. “I only wish my father had given your mother the same opportunity.”

At these words, the tears in Emmy’s eyes finally spilled over. She felt overjoyed, like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she smiled widely at him.

“Thank you my Lord, thank you so much,” she replied, kneeling before him.

“Not at all, I’m very happy for you.” He took her hand and pulled her up from the floor. “Let’s plan a dinner tomorrow in celebration.”

“Are you sure? With everything that’s going on?” she asked hesitantly.

“Of course. These may be hard times, but all the more reason to focus on the happier things that happen around us. Come now,” he said, leading her towards the door. “I’m sure he can’t wait to hear the news.”

Emmy saluted him, a grin on her face that seemed to spread ear to ear, and then disappeared down the hallway. David leaned on the doorframe after she left, lost in thought.

_ Emmy and Jager…who’d have guessed,  _ he mused to himself, chuckling slightly. 

He stayed in the doorway for some time before finally pushing himself away from it, and he headed towards the generals’ quarters. When he arrived at the door he was seeking, he tapped his knuckles lightly on the wood.

“Pagus? Do you have a moment?”

The door opened a few seconds later. “Always for you, my Lord.”

David entered the quarters and glanced around. He immediately noticed that some of Pagus’ many books seemed to be missing. The shelves that were normally fully lined with tomes had empty spaces scattered amongst them.

“Where have your books gone?” he inquired.

“Oh I just sent some to some friends, old favorites and such, for safekeeping.”

David’s stomach dropped at his words. The ease of which Pagus spoke about his preparations for the end of his life created a tightness in David’s chest.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better now that I completed brewing a stock of purple Alev bud potion.”

“But that is only for relief of discomfort and exhaustion, it’s not a treatment.”

“I don’t seek a treatment,” Pagus said simply as he pulled himself into his chair near the fire. “I have accepted that my time is coming, I see no reason to fight fate.” He glanced up at David, whose face had a look of mingled shock and sadness.

“Come now my boy,” Pagus said, motioning to the chair across from him. “I wanted to speak to you about Lenne.”

David slowly sank into the armchair opposite Pagus, his general’s sickness gradually being pushed out of his mind at the mention of the name.

“Torgal thinks we may need to employ harsher methods in questioning her,” David told him.

“Yes, we were discussing that when you entered the conference room,” Pagus began. 

“Did you tell them everything that happened after Torgal took Emmy out of there?” David asked, apprehension in his voice. He knew Torgal would not approve of his lapse of judgment in approaching the bars of the cell and displaying any emotion to her.

“Not everything. Torgal means well, but we both know he can be a bit overprotective at times,” Pagus replied, as if reading his mind. “What Torgal doesn’t understand sometimes is that although they may be the enemy, they are still people. And all people have a weakness. Hers seems like it may be you.”

David’s eyes flew to meet Pagus’. “What do you mean?”

“She hasn’t been able to take her eyes off of you when you’re in the same room. It seemed like she felt sympathetic when you showed a moment of weakness, when you spoke of Rush.” David began to somewhat understand.

“You know as well as I,” Pagus began again, “that you have always been gifted with people. Your charisma and natural charm has won you loyalty from parties that we wouldn’t have ever foreseen.”

“So what exactly are you implying?” David asked, leaning forward to place his elbows onto his knees, his shoulders tense.

“I’m simply saying that a softer method may be more productive than torture.”

“Torgal would never approve of this. He’ll claim that she only began to talk because Emmy hit her.”

“That could very well be the case,” Pagus replied, sighing deeply. “But why do you think she began to talk to you?”

David remained silent as he considered the question. He couldn’t help thinking it was due to Emmy’s actions, that it had scared Lenne into realizing that she was not going to be able to continue to play games with them. At the same time though, he thought about the look on her face when he had asked her where Rush was, and he did not think it was ingenuine. 

“I honestly don’t know,” David finally replied after a few long moments. 

“Neither of us know for sure,” Pagus replied. “But we both know which method you’d prefer to try first, and which you’d rather leave as a last resort.”

“Yes,” replied David quietly. “That is something we are sure of.” David rose from his seat, and Pagus pushed himself from his chair as well. “I think I shall retire early tonight. Rest well, Pagus.”

“Good night Lord David,” Pagus replied, bowing his head slightly. David returned to his own quarters a few doors down the hall, exhausted. He took the time only to remove his boots and shrug off his coat of Athlum’s colors before collapsing into bed.

* * *

A few hours later, David was awakened harshly by a frantic pounding at the door of his room.

“Lord David!” Torgal call from the other side. “It’s urgent! Lord David wake up!” Instinctually David rolled from his bed and was at the door within seconds. Something in Torgal’s voice told him something was very, very wrong.

He pulled the door open to find Torgal standing so close it seemed as if he had been standing with his nose pressed against the wood.

“What is it?” David asked.

“Follow me,” Torgal said, motioning down the hall. David hastily pulled on his boots and followed him out the door. As they both began to head towards the audience chamber of the castle, Torgal began to talk very fast.

“A soldier from Celapaleis arrived here a few moments ago. He was injured and severely dehydrated – he said he’d ran the whole way from Celapaleis.”

“Ran?” David interrupted, shocked. “It’s a half a day’s ride, why in the world would he do it on foot?”

“He said he was chased out of the city by the Rebellion and had no other choice.”

David felt like he had been punched in the stomach. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at Torgal, who kept his eyes forward.

“My God,” David uttered in disbelief. They arrived at the audience chamber and found the man sprawled on the floor, Blocter and Emmy as well as a castle physician hovering over him.

“What happened?” David asked him as he too stood over the man. His face was pale and his skin looked clammy. His shirt had been removed to reveal a small stab wound to his lower abdomen.

“We were attacked,” the soldier replied through chattering teeth. “They stormed the castle in the middle of the night.”

“Why weren’t we alerted sooner?” Blocter asked.

“They had people waiting in the hills for our messengers. They’re all dead.”

“They’ve been there for a full day with the city’s communications completely cut off,” Emmy said more to herself than the other. Her eyes were wide in shock.

“How did you escape?” David asked urgently.

“They…they l-let me go,” the man sputtered, his breath becoming more and more ragged. The physician at the man’s side was frantically utilizing herbs and potions, but none seemed to be helping.

“Let you go? Why?”

“A m-message.” Tears began to flood from the man’s eyes and he closed them tightly, grimacing in pain. “Lord Qubine-“

“What about him?!” David asked, panic rising in his voice.

“They h-have him. A trade-“ he broke off, his body beginning to shake harder. “For a woman.”

David drew back unconsciously as if he’d been stung. His jaw fell open as his mind reeled.

“When and where?” Torgal asked, shaking the man’s shoulder slightly as he began to lose consciousness. 

“Tomorrow at midnight…the bridge on the Jhai River,” the man replied, his voice barely above a whisper. His breathing was becoming shallow and forced.

“Is Qubine injured?” Emmy asked, leaning closer to the man’s face.

“I-“ he drew a great, labored breath. “I don’t-“ He choked out as his eyes slid closed. The physician reached up to his neck, and they all remained still as they watched him. After a moment that felt like an hour, the physician withdrew his hand and shook his head.

They all stood in silence a moment, frozen in shock. David’s mind raced among three names.

Lenne.

Qubine.

Rush.

“Retrieve all our maps and information about the bridge and the surrounding area,” he heard Torgal tell someone. His voice sounded miles away.

“But, wait…” Emmy replied quietly, her voice lacking the confidence to halt Torgal’s orders.

“We’ll need to strategize the safest way to do this. The plan will need-“ the sovani continued.

“Wait-“ Emmy again, slightly louder.

“In the dark it’s going to be a logistical nightmare,” chimed in Blocter.

“Stop!” 

Emmy’s shout brought David back to his senses. He, along with the other generals, looked to her in surprise.

“Shouldn’t we talk about this first? Before you decide to just trade her away like that?”

“Emmy they are holding Lord Qubine prisoner!” Torgal shouted at her, his tone irritated as if explaining a simple rule to a child.

“But she knows where Rush is!”

At her words David turned his back to them and closed his eyes. 

“That is not an issue here!”

He knew he was going to lose him again.

“How can you say that? There has to be another way!” Emmy’s tone was becoming frantic.

“What way is there? We have less than a day before the trade, what are we supposed to do? If you have an idea you’d better step forward,” Torgal finished, his voice growling in impatience. The room fell into silence as Emmy was lost for a response.

“Make the trade.”

Although he could not see them, David felt them all turn to face his back after he spoke the words. 

“But, my Lord…” he heard Emmy trail off, and he couldn’t ignore the shock in her voice.

“We have no choice. We can’t leave him in their possession. Make plans for the trade.”

He turned around to Torgal, who nodded and then left with Blocter, stepping over the man’s body which still remained on the floor between them. He avoided Emmy’s eyes as he looked at the soldier.

“David,” she breathed, reaching a hand out towards him. He turned away from her and stepped out of her reach. 

“Athlum comes first,” was all he could say before leaving the room to follow Torgal and Blocter. With only a few hours left before they would need to depart for the rendezvous point, he needed to decide how to approach her for information; a decision that he’d desired time to consider needed to be made – now.


	7. Chapter 7

The sky outside the castle windows seemed darker than normal to David. The winter nights were growing longer and becoming almost disorienting. Ironically enough, when time was of the essence, he had no idea the hour. He quickened his pace as he moved swiftly through the halls of the castle. 

In the short time that passed since deciding to trade Lenne for Qubine, he and the generals had been forced to immediately make several key decisions. They’d held a meeting which they had intended to be brief, but had run so long that David could not help but feel aggravated. They had decided to send a messenger to the Sykes in Eulam. The message contained questions for John and Marina regarding Lenne’s history with the Academy. They knew they would not receive a reply before the meeting at the river, but now that they were aware of her affiliation with the Academy they needed everything they could gather. And although Emmy was not pleased and David felt a pang of guilt, they decided not to mention that Rush’s necklace had been sent to them. Torgal had been able to convince them to do so after pointing out how damaging it could be if the public found out that Rush’s necklace had been in the possession of a violent rebel group. 

_ “We can’t inform the public of everything regarding that necklace, and an uninformed public is sure to draw conclusions of their own. We have to keep the return of it under wraps, even from the other Dukes,” Torgal had said, raising his voice over the debate that was occurring over the issue. His words quickly put an end to all arguing. _

The main discussion, as well as the main reason the meeting had been so lengthy, was choosing a strategy for their last interrogation of Lenne. Torgal and Blocter had immediately begun this discussion between themselves.

_ “We could use her family,” Torgal had suggested almost immediately. It seemed as if this was not the first time the idea had crossed his mind. _

_ “We still know nothin’ about ‘er family,” replied Blocter. _

_ “I know, but she doesn’t know that we are still completely in the dark. We could use it to pressure her.” _

_ “How so?” David had asked. Although he didn’t intend it, the tone of his voice was challenging. _

_ “Threaten to have them detained and brought in,” replied Torgal coolly, turning from Blocter toward the rest of the group. _

_ “If we’re wrong in the assumption she has family, or has family that she cares for, the whole endeavor will be ruined,” Pagus objected. David’s eyes had lowered to meet his, and Pagus gave him a small nod that was almost undetectable. _

_ “Pagus is right,” David said, drawing all eyes to him. “I think we should contemplate a different strategy.” _

_ “Do you have an idea?” asked Emmy hesitantly. David breathed a small sigh before continuing. He steeled his voice and willingly let authority seep into it. He didn’t want to be argued with. _

_ “I’d like to question her myself, alone, and not in her cell.” _

_ “What exactly are you thinking?” Torgal asked, taking a step closer to David. _

_ “Have the cooks bring food and wine up to the private dining room.” _

_ Blocter clenched his fists and burst out, “Yer gonna have dinner with her? With that scum?”  _

_ “You can’t be serious,” Torgal interjected. _

_ “I think our best bet is to attempt to change her alliance. It seems she may be the brains of the Rebellion, not the force. They mounted an attack on Celapaleis without her there. She’s a researcher from the Academy - I doubt she even has a day of combat training. That’s not her purpose in the Rebellion,” David replied, annoyed at having to further defend his position. _

_ “If she’s smart she’ll realize she could profit better by cooperating with us,” Pagus added. _

_ “We don’t even know what she’s after,” Emmy added hesitantly. _

_ “It doesn’t matter. A rebel force being sought for treason by every nation on the continent doesn’t stand a chance.” _

That had been the end of the discussion. David had returned to his quarters while preparations in the dining room had been made and Lenne brought up and secured in the room. He’d gone to the sink and cupped his hands under the faucet. The water was cold, another sign of the approaching winter. He splashed it onto his face, which felt unusually warm, and dried his skin. As he lowered the towel, he looked at himself in the mirror. His cheeks looked abnormally pink, and his hair was a bit disheveled. 

He straightened his hair quickly and exited back into his private chambers. He shed his Athlum coat of arms which was quickly followed by the shirt beneath. As he did so, he heard the familiar jingle of Rush’s chain. The sound caused him to pause for the length of a heartbeat, and his breath hitching in his chest. He quickly grabbed a clean black shirt from his closet and grabbed his coat from the floor. He carried it draped over his arm as he left the room.

When he reached the dining room, Torgal was standing in front of the door.

“Lord David,” the sovani began upon seeing him approach. David did not speak, and stopped directly in front of Torgal. This placed the general between him and the door. He raised his eyes to meet Torgal’s, keeping his face smooth and neutral. When their eyes met, Torgal surprised David and did something exceedingly rare.

He hesitated. His ears flattened against his head and he broke his eye contact with David. “You must know I don’t like this idea very much, but after giving it some thought I think you are right.” David’s expression softened at the words. “Just be careful,” Torgal added, his eyes meeting David’s and openly showing his worry.

“I will,” David replied simply, a small smile crossing his face. Torgal returned the smile ever so slightly, yet it seemed to be produced more by nerves than relief.

“I’ll come in when it’s time for us to leave.” With that, Torgal stepped aside and allowed David to let himself into the dining room.

The room was a small yet warm space. The rich maroon colors on the walls were accompanied by furniture of dark wood. Since this room had been intended for small, private dinners and not formal entertaining, the décor of the room was relatively simple. A dining table surrounded by eight chairs filled the center of the room and took up most of the usable space. The only other furniture in the room was a liquor cabinet in one of the corners. In the center of the table, a gold-plated vase stood holding red roses. On the walls in the spaces between the few windows of the room were similar vases holding more roses. The only light in the room at this time of day were small torches that were also perched along the walls. They gave the room a pleasant glow.

Lenne sat in the chair to the right of the head of the table. As he’d entered the room his eyes had caught hers immediately, and he could feel them on him after he had looked away. He closed the door behind him and went to stand opposite her, across the table. His eyes swept over her quickly, noticing changes since the last time he had seen her. Her jaw was swollen and discolored from where Emmy had hit her, a small cut in the middle of the angry purple and black bruising. The wound to her head that she had arrived with looked to be healing slowly. Her hair had been cleaned and brushed, and she had also been given a clean change of clothes. She wore a simple white blouse that looked too big for her body, and a dark skirt made of a material that looked as if it’d be quite itchy to wear. 

Their eyes met again and for a moment neither of them spoke. David placed his hands on the chair back in front of him and leaned forward onto it, considering her for a moment. He had not decided on a plan for earning her loyalty, but Pagus’ words had given him the confidence that it was possible. He had never particularly tried to be anything other than himself before now to earn peoples’ trust, and he told himself to do that here. 

_ Don’t think about who she is or what she has, _ he told himself. 

“Please, eat,” he told her, motioning to the meal in front of her. “Would you like some wine?” He asked, leaving the table to walk to the cabinet. He opened it and withdrew a bottle without looking at the label. He turned back to the table and reached over to pour her a glass, then one for himself. He set the bottle down on the table between them and took his seat at the head. As he lowered himself into his chair he noticed the hilt of his sword poking out from underneath a dark cloth on the chair adjacent to him. It was laid across the two neighboring chairs and hidden from sight when the chairs were pushed in fully.  _ Torgal… _ He quickly looked away from it. Looking back at her, he saw that with the exception of her eyes, she had not moved an inch since he entered the room.

_ Pretend she’s normal. Pretend she’s Irina,  _ he thought to himself as he took a drink of wine. He replaced his glass on the table and leaned back in his chair, releasing a sigh. His eyes fell on her again and saw she was looking at his wine glass. He watched her eyes flick between his glass and hers before she seemed to finally decide to drink it. She lifted her hands above the table from her lap, and David saw for the first time that her wrists were bound together. With only a few inches of slack between her wrists she was forced to reach for her goblet with both hands.

_ Well, there goes pretending. _

In an attempt to distract himself from staring at her, he quickly looked down at his plate. It was piled high with grilled vegetables, rice and roasted fowl of some kind. He didn’t realize until then how hungry he was; he had not eaten since the evening before the Celapaleian messenger had arrived in the middle of the night. He suspected it was now not far from sunrise, although the long nights of winter had him slightly disoriented about the time. 

Picking up his fork and knife he began to cut the bird into smaller pieces, feeling her eyes on him the entire time. After slicing a few pieces he raised one to his mouth and then raised his eyes to meet hers again. She had made no motion to eat the food in front of her.

“You must be hungry,” he said, motioning again towards the plate in front of her.

“I switched our plates,” she said suddenly. “Before you came in.”

His brow furrowed as he looked at her. “Why?” He quickly stabbed another piece of meat and put it into his mouth, not breaking eye contact with her. “Did mine have more on it?” David replied, seizing the opportunity to break the ice. He could easily predict the reaction she expected, so he gave her quite the opposite.

She continued to stare at him as he popped food into his mouth, her eyes wider than usual, before the corners of her mouth finally tugged slightly upward in a smile. “No,” she said, shaking her head. She snorted, amused, before finally picking up her fork.

David looked down at his plate and smiled inwardly to himself. He’d lowered her defenses, even if only a little, quicker than he’d thought. He looked back up to see her raise a vegetable to her mouth and her eyes slid closed involuntarily. They ate in silence for another moment before she spoke.

“Why are you doing this?”

David remained silent, his mind working rapidly at how to handle this. He felt that it was indeed possible for him to win her over, but with a quick glance at the window over her shoulder he saw the sky turning the slightest bit purple. His stomach turned as he realized he’d been wrong about how much time he had. He had to tread carefully. 

“It’s…” he started, taking a deliberate pause.  _ Her weakness seems to be you,  _ Pagus’ words echoed in his head. “It’s complicated.” 

“It doesn’t seem like something that should be complicated,” she said, only half paying attention to her words. She was struggling to maneuver her utensils.

“No, it shouldn’t be,” he said, setting down his fork and knife with a clatter and rising from his chair. Something in his tone caused all her muscles to freeze. It almost seemed as if there was an edge of a threat present in his voice. As he moved to her side and barely within her peripheral vision, she felt her heart begin to race. 

She closed her eyes, willing herself to take a deep breath and calm down. She could barely keep her hands from shaking. When she felt his hands on hers, her eyes flew open to see that he was gently removing the fork and knife from her hands. She watched as he dragged her plate sideways towards himself, and began to slice the meat into small pieces. 

“What do you want?” She asked. His touch on her hands had had a sobering effect which she disliked immensely. She knew she could not afford to lower her defenses around him.

“I’d like us to be able to work together,” he replied simply. 

“You know my aim is to overthrow you.”

“I don’t really think so,” he replied, cocking his head slightly to the side. “The Rebellion, yes, that’s their goal, they’ve made that quite clear. But you,” he said, turning to face her, their faces less than a foot apart. “That’s not why you’re here.”

“It’s not, is it?” she replied, her voice taking on the edge of hostility it had when she had first been detained. There was also a hint of vulnerability though. David pushed further.

“You’re old Academy, we know that. You were working on a project that was kept secret from not only the public but the Congress as well. Something that I’m guessing very few others knew about. It’s not very hard to then assume you’re manipulating the Rebellion into attacking the cities whose vaults contain old Academy files to steal something from them. Something you want.” 

David had watched her face as her lips had pressed together to form a thin line. He knew he had struck a nerve in her. Neither of them moved for a long moment, her eyes burning into his. 

“Want to know what I think?” She asked, leaning closer to him. He did not back away. “You aren’t doing this for Athlum and we both know it.”

It was all he could do to keep his face even and stony. The moment of weakness he had shown down in her cell had not been forgotten. As his mind began to spin around the question of how much she could know about Rush and his time spent in Athlum, she leaned even closer to him, her chin passing his as her lips came within inches of his ear.

“You want  _ him _ back.”

“And what do you want?” David asked breathlessly, his head turning to the side the slightest degree. He felt the hair off his temple being bent forward as it brushed her forehead. His stomach began to summersault as his skin prickled at her proximity. 

“What’s in those vaults that you want so badly?” He drew back slowly, his eyes locking with hers unblinkingly. He watched the change in her face carefully. Her knowing smirk had slid away as it was replaced by a look of contemplation. 

“I think we could work together,” He repeated again as he rose finally from her side, and turned towards the window behind her. 

“How?” She asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. 

“That depends,” he replied, keeping his back to her.

“On?”

“Is he alive?”

Silence. He turned back to her. He was caught off guard by her expression – it was one of sadness. He felt his chest tighten painfully at the sight.

“I don’t know,” she finally said quietly. “It’s been almost two years since I saw him.”

He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “It’s alright. I believe he is. Listen,” he lowered himself back to her eye level.

“You make it so I can see him again, and I’ll give you whatever you want.”

Her eyes widened and locked with his. “It’s not possible.”

“What? Finding him or giving you what you want?”

“They’re one and the same.”

“Rush is your goal then?” David asked, trying his best to not sound territorial. 

“No, the  _ means  _ are the same.”

David let loose an exasperated sigh. “This will never work if you don’t trust me.”

“This would never work anyway. Even if I agreed, are you going to help me raid Elysion? And your own vaults? No. And why should I trust you? I could tell you what’s going on and you could throw me back in that hole. Or let the sovani have a go at torturing me, or-”

“Stop being ridiculous.”

His words silenced her. She recoiled slightly away from him and pressed her lips back into a thin line. He could feel that she was becoming torn on what to do. The thought crossed his mind that she must have never been very loyal to the Rebellion in the first place. No matter the cause, people will always have their own interests in mind.

“You know you can trust me because I do want him back, very much so. So why not work with me and not have to fear for your life?”

The question seemed suspended in the air. 

“What if someone else were to beat you to what you’re after?”

He knew as soon as the words left his mouth that he had won. Her shoulders slumped and he saw her begin to bite her lower lip. He moved back to his chair and lowered himself into it. He placed his elbows on the armrests and brought his hands together, fingertips lightly touching as he watched her and waited. 

He could guess at what her mind was doing. As soon as the idea of cooperating with him had formed, she had involuntarily begun to consider the steps that would occur after that. She imagined not being back in that cell. Not being held prisoner. Succeeding in her quest, whatever it may be. Being able to return to a normal life someday. Imagining these things made continuing down her fugitive path seem bleak and uninviting. 

Once these thoughts penetrate the mind, they are almost impossible to cast off.

“Fine.”

His eyes lifted to look at her. Her gaze was downcast and unfocused. His eyes stayed on her a long moment, the finality of the word sinking in. Looking beyond her, David noticed the sun had just peeked above the horizon. He wondered if it was coincidence.

“Good.”

She took a deep breath and let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Now what?”

“Now, we talk. I’m of the impression that this endeavor is going to take a great deal of planning.”

She chuckled half heartedly at him, shaking her head. “You have no idea. What about the generals? They will not trust me, especially the Yama.”

“Leave that to me. Now, let’s start again from the beginning. Is Lenne really your name?”

She looked perplexed by the question. “Of course.”

“Really? I think the generals might have had some bets rolling as to if you were lying or not,” he said, smirking at her.

“It doesn’t really matter since the Congress decided to destroy all the files concerning my identity.”

“It was to protect you. And your co-workers.”

“And it’s been biting you in the ass the last few days, hasn’t it?” David decided to ignore the jab and move on. He began with simple questions.

“So you are indeed old Academy?”

“Yes.”

“How high up were you?”

“Very.”

“What was the nature of the project that was so highly confidential?”

At this she leaned back in her chair, her hands grasping her wine glass. She stared down into it for a moment before replying. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

“Ready for what exactly?”

“To have what you thought you knew turned upside down.”

“About the Academy?” David asked quickly. He could feel his pulse start to quicken at the thought that he was finally about to learn what was behind the Rebellion and Lenne.

“About the remnants.”

He did not immediately grasp the meaning of her response. “What about them? They were destroyed.”

“You so sure about that? You were quick to believe Rush is alive.”

“Rush is an exception. He’s human as well as a descendant of Marion Marshall.”

“No, you don’t understand.”

“So you’re saying he’s dead?” David asked, raising his voice. 

As he watched, he saw her slowly begin to shake her head from side to side. “They’re  _ all _ alive.”

“How can that be?” David burst out, unable to help himself. “They’re gone. I was there.”

“They’re alive for the same reason Rush is alive. They have pieces of human souls within them. The souls they leached from when they were bound in this world. Those souls sustained them through what happened two years ago. They are now all together, weakened, but alive.”

“How do you know this?”

“From my work. And from what I saw the last time I saw Rush. It took me months after that time to piece together what everything meant. But I think I understand it all now.” Her eyes were cast towards a space on the table, but they were unfocused again. He could almost see her mind racing.

Without thinking, he reached over the table to place his hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly, brought out of her thoughts by his touch.

“Tell me,” he told her, his voice softening. She nodded slowly, and he removed his hand from her shoulder.

“I was a research team leader at the Academy. Our work was classified, with even other members of the Academy outside the team unaware of what we were working on. Our research focused not on the discovery of remnants, but the creation of new ones. There seemed to be a finite number of them in the world, and it was feared that most had already been found. That made it very desirable to find a way to manufacture them.”

David settled back into his chair. He indeed had never been aware of such a program at the Academy. He remained silent while she spoke, trying to absorb everything she said.

“This raised the inevitable question of where the remnants came from. We looked at everything; we tried to find patterns in their locations around the world and tried unsuccessfully to perform tests on their composition, before eventually turning to documents in the archives. Everything else had failed us until then. The tests attempted on the remnants always proved inconclusive or would randomly be riddled with errors. They were useless no matter what we tried.

We all knew the folktales we were told when we were younger; that the remnants descended from the sky. If that were indeed the case, then manufacturing a remnant was thought to be impossible. So the team as a whole worked with the assumption that they had to be organic of the planet, and that they could be made. And so we began experimenting.”

“And what did you discover?”

“A place that we believed to be a remnant graveyard of sorts.”

“How did you find it?”

“Completely by accident. In an attempt to create an artifact to manufacture a remnant, we managed to create one that took us there.”

“And you went there?”

“Multiple times. “

“And why did you think it was a graveyard?”

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “I was getting there, if you’d stop with the questions,” she replied. David straightened his back and cleared his throat, and although he felt in a normal conversation an apology would be appropriate, he denied it to this one. 

“This idea was supported by the remnants we saw there,” she continued. “We had seen them before, not on the planet, but in drawings and sketches in the archives. They were dated hundreds of years ago.”

She paused then, leaning back in her chair and absentmindedly rotating her wine glass in her hands, watching the liquid swirl in the bottom.

“What did it look like?”

“It’s a desert of grey sand. The sky is just as grey and it is always lightning and thundering. It’s a storm that never clears.”

David felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He remembered the dream he’d had in his office – of waking up in a strange, desolate land and searching frantically for Rush. 

“What is it?” her voice broke into his reverie. She had noticed his face go pale.

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “Is this where you saw Rush? Where he gave you the necklace?”

“Yes.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

She shook her head. “Only a little. I was in a hurry, we knew that the Congressional team that was dissolving the Academy was on its way to the lab, and I did not want to explain to them what we had been up to.”

“You travelled there knowing that they were en route? They only had to walk across the city.”

“Time flows differently there. Days there is only a few moments here.” David’s heart ached at the thought. What had been two years for him had been many years…possibly decades for Rush.

“Why didn’t you bring him back with you?”

“The artifact that I used to travel there wasn’t powerful enough to transport two. I had tried to bring my assistant with me before to conduct research, but it always failed. We then spent time researching on two fronts – one was the graveyard, and one on increasing the power of the artifact. I prohibited the other researchers from using the artifact, both as a precaution for the security of the project and to help motivate them to find a way to improve its power.”

The sun had now completely risen above the horizon. It bathed the room in a soft light and began to warm away the chill of the night that had been in the room. David had failed to notice, too drawn in by Lenne’s story.

“I went there once,” she began again quietly, “to study a specific dormant remnant when I noticed some glyphs on the surface of it. Against my better judgment, I reached out and touched them. They glowed and became blisteringly hot to the touch,” she extended her left hand, and David could see burn scars across her fingertips. 

“As I stood there the sand beneath me dispersed to the sides, as if someone had blown it across a tabletop. The very ground below me disappeared but I didn’t fall. I just stood there, suspended on nothing, looking down at this world. Just as suddenly the remnant began to shake violently and then plummeted down, like an arrow from a bow. I watched it rocket toward the planet and saw it land near the northern coast.”

“No…” David breathed, realization dawning on him. She nodded.

“Duke Ghor had no problem accepting the Academy’s request to begin a search for a new remnant in the world. Whatever democratic bullshit he came up with worked, didn’t it?”

“You spawned the Fornstrand remnant?” David asked, his voice filled with disbelief. 

She only nodded. David fell into silence then, trying to take in everything that had been said. In the back of his mind, he also began to formulate a plan.

“Was your research into strengthening the artifact successful?”

“We completed something that we thought might augment its power, but-“ Her words were cut off by the door to the dining room opening. 

“My Lord,” Torgal said, bowing his head slightly as he entered the room. “We can’t wait any longer. We have to make preparations to depart.”

David immediately stood. Lenne’s gaze began to dart between his and Torgal’s faces.

“Come,” David said, moving to her side and hooking an arm under her elbow. “We have to go.”

“Go where?” she asked, her voice quivering slightly. “David?”

He did not look at her as they walked through the castle, Lenne having to almost jog to keep up with Torgal’s brisk pace. As they reached the doors to the stables, David stopped short with her as Torgal continued out the doors.

“Listen to me,” he whispered, leaning close to her. “The Rebellion has captured Lord Qubine. We’ve agreed to trade you for him. Do they know what you know?” His eyes locked with hers. When she didn’t answer, he pushed her forcefully up against the wall, out of sight of their awaiting entourage. “Are they after the artifact like you are?”

“They’re after it,” she replied, fear in her eyes. “But they don’t know that it’s for transportation nor how to use it. They just think it will bring back the remnants so they can use them against you.”

“Alright. Now, I need you to understand three things. If you ever want what is in Athlum’s vaults, then you will remain loyal to me. I will give Rush up and kill you if you betray us.”

She nodded frantically. This time when he made the threat on her life, she believed him.

“The second is I need you to keep up appearances that we’re not cooperating. There may be spies within this castle and if they know you’re helping me, it makes you a target. And you’re no use to me dead. We’ll retrieve you as soon as we can. You never told us anything, got it?”

“Okay,” she replied. “And the third thing?”

David grabbed her arm again and pulled her away from the wall and into the entryway. “I need to keep up appearances too.”

He pulled her into the stable yard and threw her to the ground. She landed hard on her shoulder and cried out in pain at the impact. 

“Tie her up. Let’s go.”

“My Lord,” Torgal said, walking over to him. David turned to meet him, walking away from Lenne without looking at her. Blocter moved towards her and hoisted her up by her bound hands. David heard her give out another cry of pain at her shoulder being jostled, but he did his best to not acknowledge it.

“There’s been a collapse,” Torgal began. Everything else immediately disappeared from David’s mind. 

“Where?” he asked.

“Melphina.”

David sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. “Send Blocter.”

“Sir, Blocter is leading anti-Rebellion operations-“

“Then send Emmy with five hundred soldiers.”

“Yes sir,” Torgal replied. He turned away from David and walked to Emmy as David mounted his horse. He saw Emmy nod to Torgal and then turn to him, saluting before heading back towards the castle. 

“Pagus will remain in Athlum,” Torgal told him as he mounted his own horse next to David.

“That’s fine,” David replied. As they turned to exit the castle grounds, David cast a look over his shoulder. Lenne’s hands were being bound to her horse, which would be escorted during the trip by Blocter. 

“Did you manage to get any information from her?” Torgal asked as the party began to move forward.

“Very little, and I believe it all a lie. We’ll discuss it later.” He cast one final look over his shoulder to Lenne, and watched as a black bag was pulled over her head.

  
  


The caravan did not stop until dusk was settling over the land. The bridge was less than an hour from the clearing in which they stopped. Torgal and Blocter had decided to set up a secure, temporary camp here while scouts ventured ahead to survey the situation. They sent soldiers in a wide circle out to the river’s edge, checking for signs of an ambush or trap. 

David dismounted his horse gratefully and began to pace around the camp, stretching his legs. The winter’s cold was seeping through his skin, and they had decided against making a fire to try to draw as little attention as possible. Lenne was bound to a tree, the bag removed but she had been gagged. Although David knew the precautions were unnecessary, he could not stop Blocter from treating her so. He worried that the Rebellion had members hidden amongst his ranks, and did not want to give the slightest inclination that she was now, he hoped, his ally instead of theirs. 

A few hours after darkness settled, the scouts returned and reported no abnormalities in the woods.

“Send a few archers to go far north of here, cross the river, then poise themselves overlooking the bridge. Tell them to fire first if they see signs of snipers on the other side of the river.” Torgal ordered some of the troops. David was thankful that he was taking command of the situation. David had now not slept in over a day and it was becoming hard to focus his mind. 

After another short wait, the party began to move towards the bridge, leaving their horses tied at their temporary camp with only a few guards. Everyone else moved through the trees on foot. David began to feel his pulse quicken when he realized he could hear the rushing sound of the river out in the darkness.

The bridge came into view quicker than he had expected. The bridge had been built three generations ago and arched gracefully over the river below. For many years it had been a major route for merchants travelling between cities. It had fallen into disuse though, after a wider, more stable bridge had been built a few miles downriver. 

Coming closer to it, David could finally see across to the other side. There he saw a group of approximately thirty people, all wearing masks to hide their faces. Near the front, a large man held the elbow of who David assumed to be Qubine. He wore Celapaleis’ royal colors, but a bag of black cloth obscured his face. Although David could not tell for sure, there were dark stains that seemed to be blood covering his shoulder. 

Blocter grabbed Lenne forcibly by the elbow and dragged her forward. David heard her give a whimper of pain from behind the gag in her mouth, which he assumed was caused by her shoulder. As they reached the edge of the bridge Blocter stepped out onto it first, and it gave a loud creak under the yama’s weight. Lenne tried to dig her heels into the ground in protest of following him onto the wooden planks, but he had little trouble in forcing her forward. David closed his eyes, trying to suppress the pang of guilt he felt at the treatment of her.

Across the bridge, the large man holding Qubine stepped forward. David’s eyes flew open at the sound of their footsteps on the bridge. When both parties had crossed a third of the way, the Rebellion man held up his hand.

“Stop there,” he called, and Blocter and Lenne came to a halt. “Send her across.”

“After we see his face,” Blocter growled back at the man. The man reached over without hesitation and ripped the hood off the man’s head. Qubine’s eyes blinked furiously, trying to adjust from being in the dark for so long, and then finally met David’s across the river. David could almost feel the relief that he saw sweep through the teenager’s eyes. 

The man pushed Qubine forward harshly, and Blocter at the same time released Lenne. Both of them moved forward hesitantly, tensing as they neared each other. Qubine stared intently at her face as she passed him, while her eyes did not leave the ground. When Qubine was close enough Blocter reached out an enormous hand and placed it on his back, guiding him hastily across the rest of the bridge.

David’s eyes turned to the far side of the river. Lenne was being lifted onto the back of a horse by another man in a mask. As she slid in behind him he turned backwards to face her and raised a hand to her face, quickly pulling down the gag from her mouth. David felt a fire flare angrily in his stomach as he watched the man tenderly caress her face where Emmy had hit her. 

“David…” Qubine’s voice drew his attention back to his side of the river. Qubine was at his side and reaching out to David. David reached out to grasp his hand, but Qubine pulled David to him and squeezed his shoulders tightly.

“Thank you David,” Qubine said into his shoulder. 

“Of course,” David said, pulling away from the embrace. “You’d do the same for me.” He inspected Qubine’s face, seeing bruises that looked like they were a day or so old. 

“Did you fight back against the bastards?” David asked, patting the teen on the shoulder.

“As best I could,” Qubine replied, a small smile crossing his face.

“Come, let us leave quickly,” Torgal interjected, and everyone turned to walk back through the forest. David moved slower than the rest and fell slightly behind, affording himself one last glance across the river. No one lingered there; it was if they had vanished into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> I will be posting chapters as I go through them and polish them a bit. Thank you for reading.


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